Have you ever had a brush with elves? No? How about a brush by e.l.f.? Blogger Katie of My Lips But Better has, and today she shares the magic with a review of the e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush.

The e.l.f. Studio Powder BrushÂ and MAC 109 for comparison

I have a confession to make… even though Iâ€™m a beauty blogger and people expect me to look nice all the time, sometimes Iâ€™m just too lazy to apply foundation. This is especially true when Iâ€™m rushing to get ready for class in the morning. But then I discovered powder foundation and my life was completeâ€¦ except that I didnâ€™t have the right tool to apply it.

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See, most powder foundations come with those sponges that I donâ€™t like for two reasonsÂ â€“ theyâ€™re hard to clean, and most people never wash them anyway. So I tried a kabuki brush, which can easily be washed, except that the short stubby handle meant I couldnâ€™t put it in my brush organizer with the rest my brushes.

I was about to give up entirely when I stumbled onto the e.l.f. Studio Powder Brush. I wasnâ€™t expecting such great quality from a $3.00 brush but this one really proved me wrong! The dense brush head is perfect for picking up powder foundation and buffing it into the skin instead of just dusting it on top. Itâ€™s basically a kabuki brush with a long handle, which is exactly what I needed.

The e.l.f. Studio Powder BrushÂ and MAC 109 (again for comparison)

I also love the way this â€œpowder brushâ€ applies my liquid foundation. It gives a smooth, flawless finish (similar to Sephoraâ€™s coveted #55 brush) when used with MAC Face & Body or NARS Sheer Glow.

I can only come up with two reasons why this brush is so inexpensive: the flat top means no messing with tapered bristles, and the bristles are synthetic. Some people turn their noses up at synthetic bristles, but in this case Iâ€™m really pleased with the quality. I would compare the softness to my favorite EcoTools Blush Brush (or perhaps a kitten?).

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The synthetic bristles also make this a great brush for foundation because you can use alcohol-based quick-dry brush cleansers without fear of drying out the bristles. More cleaning = less bacteria on your face, which hopefully means clearer skin.

The brush looks quite at home with the rest of my MAC brushes due to the sleek designÂ â€“ it would be great for a starter makeup artist kit.

So what are you waiting for? You can purchase the Studio Powder Brush from eyeslipsface.com for $3.00. Oh, and check my blog on Sundays for a roundup post with coupon codes and deals. It usually features discounts from the brand.

This post was written by Katie, a college student from Atlanta, GA who’s mildly obsessed with cosmetics and moderately fanatical about organizing, almond-scented anythings, foam mattress toppers, Diet Dr. Pepper, and Glee. She’s also a nail biter in recovery and the brains and beauty behind My Lips But Better.

I use the 109 with liquid foundation and it sheds like a beast. I have to use another brush to remove those pesky black hairs left by that brush. So recently I switched to the MAC 187 but prefer a small brush. I may have to look for this brush.marisol recently posted … Cruisin

This brush just keeps on taunting me =/ I’ve been wanting to buy it for a while, but it’s either out of stock online, or there’s not good deals on shipping. ($7 to ship a $3 brush? No way!)Yuki recently posted … Review- Rimmel Gentle Eye Make Up Remover

Thanks for the review! I just recently bought a few brushes – some from MAC and some from Sephora – is it true that alcohol sprays can dry out natural brushes?? I always use Sephora’s antibacterial spray to clean my brushes daily after I use them! It takes too long to clean them daily. What should I use instead to avoid drying out the brushes that I invested in? Thanks Karen!! I love your site by the way – I check in daily (sometimes more than once haha) :)!

Might have to hunt for this brush, though I have a decent powder brush(I like good deals). I usually use disposable makeup sponges with pressed powder or liquid foundation. I can’t stand the idea of reusing a sponge.LOL. My skin thanks me for it, though!Steffi recently posted … Whats in my bag

This is one of my all time favourite ELF brushes! along with their eyeshadow c brush of course 😀 Lovee how its such a good quality brush just for $3! <3 <3Agnes recently posted … Double The Fun Giveaway!

Tried to find this brush in Target sevearl times, finally decided to go to the site and it was out of stock for weeks. When it finally was available I bought two for me and my daughter. Love this brush, super soft with great quality.